Anti-inflammatory Lipids found in beneficial soil bacteria

With a greater understanding of beneficial microbes and our own microbiome, scientists are investigating the implications for human health, both physical and mental and the environments that we exist in.  Now a new study published in the journal Psychopharmacology has identified an anti-inflammatory lipid in a soil dwelling bacterium.  Inside the bacterium called Mycobacterium Vaccae, scientists discovered that a lipid known as 10(Z) hexadecenoic acid inhibits pathways that cause inflammation when interacting with macrophages or immune cells. The scientists also found that when cells were pre-treated with the lipid they were more resistant to inflammation.

Senior author Physiology Professor Christoper Lowry from the University of Colorado, Boulder has published previous studies demonstrating the link between healthy microbes and mental health, “This is just one strain of one type of bacterium that is found in the soil but there are millions of other strains in soils,” said Lowry.  “We are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg in terms of identifying the mechanisms through which they have evolved to keep us healthy.  It should inspire awe in all of us.”